Percussion firing mechanism



epw. NUSBAUM.

PERCUSSION FIRING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED HA'RIIB. I920.

1,41 5,044., Patented May 9, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- 4/ diff/wimp:

G. W. NUSBAUM.

PERCUSSION mums MECHANISM.

1 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1920. 1,41. 5,044. t d May 9, 1922..

G. W. NUSBAUM.

PERCUSSION FIRING MECHANISM.

1,415,044 APPLICATION FILED MAR- 18, 'I920.' 99

Z I m m n a GEORGE W. NUSBAUM, OF TAKOMA BARK, MARYLAND.

PERCUSSION FIRING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9,1922.

Application filed March 18, 1920. Serial No. 867,004.

To all whom it may com-c m:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NUsBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Takoma Park, Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Percussion Firing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to firing mechanism for ordnance and more particularly to the percussion type adapted to be associated with the breech mechanism of relatively large caliber guns.

()ne of the objects of the present invention is to provide a firing mechanism of the above general character which will be safe, reliable, and efficient at all times.

A further object is to provide a practical mechanism of the above character in which straight electrical firing may be done through the platinum breech in the primer or by percussion or by lanyard pull off as desired.

A further object is to pI'OVlCrB a mechanism of the last above mentioned character with certain automatically operating safety features adapted to prevent premature explosion.

A further object is to provide a simple mechanism having relatively few parts which may be inexpensively manufactured and in which all parts are so positioned and arranged as to insure ease and readiness of operation at all times.

A further object is to provide a portable percussion firing mechanism applicable to all calibers of guns using pull off firing lanyard.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying sheets of drawing. In these drawings there is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention and similar reference characters denote corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a rear side elevation showing the breech of a gun, the carrier and the firing mechanism mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the firing mechanism.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the part shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a detail view of the mechanism in cocked position, and,

Figure 5 is a similar view of the parts in firing position immediately before their restoration to normal.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and more particularly to Figure 1, 10 denotes the rear end of a gun, preferably of relatively large caliber, to the rear under side of which at point 11 is pivotally mounted an L-shaped carrier member 12 which is adapted to be swung upwardly into place when the breech block is closed in the usual manner. is provided with a percussion firing lock 13. As this is of well-known construction it is believed to be unnecessary to describe it in detail, it being sufficient to state that a hammer 14 is pivotally mounted on member 17 and held in the position shown by means of a powerful firing spring engaging the opposite end 16 of the hammer and concealed within the lock casing 13. Mounted upon a suitable lug 17 and adapted to turn about a pivot 18 is the hammer cocking lever 20 provided with a latch for engaging the hammer 14 whereby as this cocking lever swings relatively downwards in the direction of the arrow about the pivot 18 the hammer 1 1 will be raised against the action of the firing spring until released by further downward movementof the cocking lever, whereupon it returns to normal position and strikes the end of the primer as shown more clearly in Figure 2. These parts being of well-known construction and forming no special part of the present invention except in so far as the elements enter broadly into certain combinations, a further description thereof is believed to be unnecessary, as the present invention deals more particularly with the actuating mechanism for moving the cocking lever.

This mechanism, which is more clearly shown in Figures 2, 4t and 5, comprises a plunger 22 having a slotted connection 23 with an actuating pivot 24 on the cocking lever. It is also pivotally connected at 25 with the body portion 26 of the plunger which is provided with a head 27 adapted to reciprocate, within the sleeve 28. This sleeve is also concentrically disposed with respect to a stationary cylindrical casing 30 mounted upon the carrier 12 in any desired manner. A spring 31 surrounds the plunger 26 and coacts between the head 27 and the end wall of the sleeve 28 whereby, as the parts are moved from the normal position The upper end of the carrier 12 shown in Figure 2 to the cooked positionshown in Figure 4 this spring '31 will be compressed in the manner shown.

Immediately beneaththe casing is asec- 0nd spring 32 acting between a lug 33 on the casing and a lug at on the sleeve 28. This spring is. also compressed during the coclc diately after firing, thereby to raise the latch, 36 fromitsengagementwith the-end the sleeve 28 and allow the parts to return to normal positlon under the action'of spring A safety sear 4-1 is pivotally mounted at d2 in the plunger head 27 and normally urged outwardly by small spring The plunger 26 is provided with a notch 4st adaptedto be enga edby the end of solenoid core i e -which is actuated by the energizing of solenoid &6 from any convenie'nt source of electrical energy. This re leasing solenoid is usually operative by 125 volts, this high voltage being brought into play by a relay switch whichin *turn' is to be operated by the regular director scope firing key; The operation of this mechanism is as followsz-- I The firing plunger 26 is cooked manually by means of the handle 35 which preferably screws into the spring sleeve 28.

ll hen this sleeve 28 is drawn downwardly about two inches the latch 36 engagesit and holds the firing spring 3]. compressed until. ready for firing. The solenoid e26 operates'the end of the solenoid core -5, which is really a sear. whereupon the plunger is released and by means ofthe connecting link 22 or the forward'pa-rt of the plunger the hammer cooking lever 20 of the firing lock is rotated sulficiently to release the hammer and fire the gun by percussion. When the plunger 26 approaches the end of its travel towards the bottom, Figure 5, the plunger 26 having moved from the'position'shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5 under the action of spring 31 then the lug 40 engages the projecting end 38 of the latch or lever 36 and presses it downwardly thereby releasing the cocking spring sleeve 28 which is immediately returned to its initial position by the compressed spring 32. The connectingrod or link 22 is provided with a slot 23 which permits the retraction of the firing lock wedge for repriming.

In order to insure the proper functioning of the device and prevent premature firing of the gun, the safety sear l1 is introduced. In the sear :5 with the solenoid fails to engage the firing plunger 26 this safety sear mechanism is intended to be housed by a suitable cover 51 shown in Figure l and an electric cable 47 is intended to be encasedin armor to prevent short circuits through abrasionbf the -insulation. The breech end of the cable is preferablyfitted with a water tight terminal 1&8.

lVhen desired the percussion mechanism may be fixed by means of a lanyard 50 indicatedin dotted lines, Figure 1,:and attached to theuppcr end of the cooking lever 20.

Fronrthe above description itwill-beseen that the present invention provides a simple,

practical and reliable percussion firing mechanism particularly adapted for use on relatively large guns; The entire mechanism is so compact and self-contained, however,

that it-may be easily mounted, or inter- 'changedfroni one gun'to another regardless of the caliber, it. being only necessary'to substitute a longer or'shorter'link for the member as maybe necessary or desired.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so'fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current lrnowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the genericor specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should, and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of'the following claim.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a firing look, a plunger adapted to be connected therewith, a movable member associated with thep'lunger, a spring connecting said parts and adapted to be manually compressed when the firing mechanism is cooked, electrically operated means co-acting with one of said parts adapted to release the same and permit said spring to return to its normal tension thereby to actuate the firing lock and automatic means for restoring said parts to normal position.

'2. In combination with a firing look, a plunger adapted to'be' connected therewith, a movable member associated with the plunger, a spring connecting said parts and adapted to be manually compressed when the firing mechanism is cooked, electrically operated -means coacting with one of said partsadapted to release the same and permit said spring to return to its normal tension thereby to actuate the firing lock, and a return sprlng associated with the movable parts for restoring the same to normal position.

3. In combination with a firing lock, a plunger adapted to be connected therewith, a movable member associated with the plunger, a spring connecting said parts and adapted to be manually compressed when the firing mechanism is cocked, electrically operated means co-acting with one of said parts adapted to release the same and permit said spring to return to its normal tension thereby to actuated the firing lock, and a return spring associated with the movable parts for restoring the same to normal position.

4:. In combination with a firing look, a plunger adapted to be connected therewith, a movable member associated with the plun ger, a spring connecting said parts and adapted to be manually compressed when the firing mechanism is cooked, electrically operated means co-acting with one of said parts, adapted to release the same and permit said spring to return to its normal tension thereby to actuate the firing lock, and a return spring associated with the movable parts for restoring the same to normal position, said return spring being compressed on the manual cooking of the mechanism and automatically released by the restoration of said firing spring to its normal ten- 5. In a firing mechanism, the combination of a firing lock including a cocking lever, a plunger, a member associated with said plunger adapted to be manually moved to cock the firing mechanism, a spring acting between said member and the plunger adapted to be compressed during the cocking, means engaging one of said parts adapted to release the same from cocking position whereby as said spring returns to its normal tension it will actuate said plunger in a direction away from the cocking lever to exert a pull thereon, and a return spring associated with the firing mechanism adapted to restore the parts to normal position.

6. In a firing mechanism, the combination of a firing lock including a cocking lever, a plunger, a member associated with said plunger adapted to be manually moved to cook the firing mechanism, a spring acting between said member and the plunger adapted to be compressed during the cocking, means engaging one of said parts adapted to release the same from cocking position whereby as said spring returns to its normal tension it will actuate said plunger in a direction away "from the cocking lever to exert a pull thereon and a return spring associated with the firing mechanism adapted to restore the parts to normal position, said return spring being compressed on the manual cooking of the firing mechanism and automatically released by the movement of said plunger.

7. In a percussion firing lock including a cocking lever, a plunger connected with said cocking lever, a sleeve surrounding said plunger, a spring interposed between the plunger head and the sleeve wall adapted to be compressed on the manual cocking of the gun by relative movement of the sleeve, a latch adapted to hold said sleeve in cocked position, a sear for retaining and releasing said plunger, means for releasing said sear and means actuated by the plunger for releasing said sleeve.

8. In a firing mechanism the combination with the firing lock of a spring operated cocking plunger, a sleeve surrounding said plunger, a spring interposed between the sleeve and plunger head adapted to be com pressed on manually setting and manually cooking the gun by relative movement of the sleeve, a latch engaging the sleeve, a return spring and a releasing sear connected with the plunger, means for actuating said releasing sear whereby said plunger is moved relatively away from the firing lock to fire the gun and means actuated by said movement adapted to engage the latch to permit said return spring to restore the parts to said normal position.

9. In a firing mechanism the combination with the firing lock of a spring operated cocking plunger, a sleeve surrounding said plunger, a spring interposed between the sleeve and plunger head adapted to be compressed on manually setting and manually cocking the gun by relative movement of the sleeve, a latch engaging the sleeve, a return spring and a releasing sear connected with the plunger, means for actuating said releasing sear whereby said plunger is moved relatively away from the firing lock to fire the gun, means actuated by sald movement adapted to engage the latch to permit said return spring to restore the parts to said normal position and safety means associated with said plunger adapted to prevent a cocking of the gun when said firing sear is out of engagement with said plunger.

10. In combination with a firing lock, a plunger, a housing for said plunger, a firing sear adapted to engage said plunger, and safety means adapted to prevent a cocking of the gun when said firing sear is out of engagement with said plunger.

Signed at Washington, District of Columbia, this 31st day of Dec, 1919.

G. W. NUSBAUM. 

